Confirm your order and payment before 15h00 for delivery tomorrow!

Power of Protein

While out doing some shopping I noticed that more than 60% of people are just passing time, okay I can hear you saying well it was a Sunday ( a rest day) and what else are we suppose to do? That’s not what I mean.. I mean more than 60% of people look unhappy, tired and off course overweight. It is a known fact that a high body fat % act as an extra organ in your body which causes havoc with every single body function. Apart from having to carry the extra weight around, it affects every aspect of your life.

Today’s I want to talk about protein, but more importantly it’s about finding the balance.
This time of the year I get a lot of guestions about Herbalife’s weight management programs. Some people have been on so many different programs without any long term success. Some are desperate, some are curious and others are ready for change.
I had a question this morning with regards to High Protein Diets, here is my answer:Beware the Dangers of a High-Protein Diet.

If you are looking for a quick way to lose weight, it’s easy to get fired up about a high-protein diet. Unfortunately, the American Heart Association, the American Dietetic Association and other health organizations from around the world advise against it.
An initial drop in weight is common with a high-protein diet, but it’s due primarily to water loss. These diets don’t work very well in the long run – nor do they build muscles as they claim. Most important, they can be dangerous, increasing your risk of heart disease, kidney disease and artery damage, and bone loss.
While most high-protein foods contain plenty of vitamin B12 and iron, they are low in other vitamins and minerals. Only a diet with lots of fruits, vegetables, and grains supplies the other nutrients that keep you healthy. (Cellular nutrition, everything in perfect balance)

The Power of Protein:
Protein is a part of every cell in your body, and no other nutrient plays as many different roles in keeping you alive and healthy. The importance of protein for the growth and repair of your muscles, bones, skin, tendons, ligaments, hair, eyes and other tissues is proven since a very long time. Without it, you would lack the enzymes and hormones you need for metabolism, digestion and other important processes.

When you have an infection, you should eat more protein because it helps create the antibodies your immune system needs to fight disease. If you are injured, you may need more, as well, to help your blood clot and make repairs.

What did you have for breakfast?Basically proteins are made up of long chains of amino acids. There are 22 different types of amino acid and the body needs all of them to function properly.
Amino acids are chemical compounds containing carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen, which combine together into different structures to form the various types of protein that the body requires.
There are many forms of protein, which all play an important role in the function of the body. For example, collagen is a protein and is vital for the strength, elasticity and composition of our hair and skin.

Essential and non-essential amino acids
When the proteins that we consume in our food are broken down through digestion into individual amino acids, these amino acids are then absorbed and reform in order to create new proteins that are then used by the body.

The 22 types of amino acid are divided into two groups: essential and non-essential amino acids.

There are 14 non-essential amino acids. They are termed non-essential as they can be manufactured by the body and do not have to be derived from food.

The body, on the other hand, cannot produce the remaining 8 essential amino acids itself, and therefore they must be derived from the food that we eat.

Non-essential amino acids are just as important as essential amino acids, as without the other, new proteins that are needed by the body cannot be properly formed. It is therefore vital that a variety of foods are eaten in order to provide the body with all of the amino acids required.

Complete and incomplete proteins
There are some foods that contain all of the 8 essential amino acids required to form the new proteins together with the non-essential amino acids. These foods are called “complete” proteins and tend to come from animal sources of protein such as meat, dairy products, eggs, fish, shellfish and poultry.

The proteins that are termed “incomplete” proteins are usually lacking in one or more of the essential amino acids. They are generally found in vegetable products like fruits, vegetables, pulses, grains and nuts.
However, by combining two or more of the “incomplete” proteins, a complete supply of essential amino acids is available. For example, baked beans on toast or rice and beans will form a complete protein and give the body all the essential amino acids.

What is the exact role of protein in our body?
Protein is required by the body for the growth, maintenance and repair of all cells.
Protein is a major component of all muscles, tissues and organs and is vital for practically every process that occurs within the body such as metabolism, digestion and the transportation of nutrients and oxygen in the blood.
It is also necessary for the production of antibodies, which fight against infection and illness, and is the main nutrient that keeps our hair shiny and healthy, our nails strong, our skin fresh and glowing and our bones strong and healthy.

Which foods are good sources of protein?
The best sources of complete protein are found in animal foods such as meat, fish, shellfish, poultry and dairy produce.Rule of thumb: the fewer legs the animal has the better the protein.

Eggs are the best source of protein as they contain the highest amount of essential amino acids. Fish is the next best source and is then followed by meat, cereal eaten with pulses, soya beans, oatmeal, rice, peas, lentils, kidney beans and then wholemeal bread.

Try to consume a variety of protein-rich foods, including pulses, fish, vegetables, shellfish and lean meat, rather than just red meat or only dairy products, as some foods that contain high amounts of protein also contain high levels of saturated fat, which is extremely bad for the body.
It is also advisable to swap full-fat foods or foods that are high in saturated fats, for a low-fat version, for example change cheddar cheese to cottage cheese and full-fat milk to semi-skimmed or skimmed milk.

How much protein should we eat each day?
Protein is an important part of our daily diet and it should be consumed every day, although our body does not need as much protein as it does other types of food such as carbohydrates, fruit and vegetables. Maintaining a perfect balance is the name of the game. Everything you consume needs to be in balance.

Note: Whatever you consume in private will show up in public!

Expert nutritionists recommend that we eat 2 – 3 servings of dairy produce per day and 2 – 3 servings of meat, poultry, fish, shellfish or pulses a day. They also advise us that 10 – 15% of our calorie intake should be made up of protein.

As some protein-rich foods, especially animal produce, are high in calories and bad fat, they should be eaten in moderation and prepared in a healthy way. For example, use grilling and roasting as cooking methods rather than frying or deep fat frying.

Eating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables can lower the risk of developing any illnesses that may be caused by eating a diet that consists of mainly meat and if possible try to eat fish, particularly oily fish, at least three times a week.

Is too much protein bad for you?
Although the body needs a certain amount of protein, too much can be harmful for a person’s health.

There is a significant risk of high cholesterol, due to the high amount of saturated fats in certain foods, which could in turn lead to heart disease and stroke.

Too much protein also puts a strain on the liver and kidneys. Foods that contain protein have high levels of nitrogen, which are harmful to the body and must be eliminated. The role of the kidneys is to filter out waste products and therefore an excess of protein will force the kidneys to work harder to remove the nitrogen waste from the body. This stress could ultimately lead to kidney disorders or damage to the body’s filtering capacities.

Due to the inability of the body to store excess protein, any surplus protein that is consumed is then converted into glucose in the liver and either used up as energy or stored as fat.

Some protein-rich foods are high in nucleic acids, which when broken down, are converted into uric acid. Consequently, too much uric acid in the blood can lead to gout, an extremely uncomfortable condition that causes a person’s joints to become inflamed, tender and agonizingly painful to move.

Finally, too much protein in the diet could also lead to osteoporosis (thinning of the bones), as an excess of protein promotes the loss of calcium in the bones through urine.

Can too little protein affect our health?
Just as too much protein is detrimental to our health, too little protein can also affect the body negatively.

Many foods containing protein are also good sources of iron among other minerals and vitamins. A lack of iron can result in tiredness and fatigue, leaving the body weak and with little energy.
Protein in the body is lost daily and therefore must be replenished daily through the diet. Too little protein can cause skin problems and generally give us an unhealthy and tired appearance.

Protein is needed to repair and create new cells, tissues, hormones, enzymes and muscles and a lack of protein can prevent these processes from being carried out correctly.

In children, who need a lot of protein to help them grow and develop, not enough protein can lead to a stunted growth and even poor mental development.

So how on earth do you know when you had too much or too little?
Although every person’s body is different the professors and scientists at Herbalife has formulated the Herbalife Formula 1 – Healthy Meal (shake mix) to contain the perfect balance between protein, carbohydrates, fats and oils and essential nutrients.

What did you have for breakfast?
If you need help with customizing a program for your, email me right now with your contact details.

FAST, NEXT DAY DELIVERY
(Monday to Friday, during office hours)Anywhere in South Africa